Amelia blog: Eliason & others have earned their spots but Mbakwe can improve the team

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Amelia blog: Eliason & others have earned their spots but Mbakwe can improve the team

per Amelia: "Eliason embodies the kind of player Smith craves – he’s physical enough to battle underneath the basket, he’s fast enough to keep up with the Gophers up-tempo offense, he’s conditioned enough to stick with the press and most of all, he plays with all the heart and energy and hustle you could ask for."

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/181385601.html

Go Gophers!!
 

Amelia adds lots of insight into her Gopher BB Blogs, and I thank her for that.

She puts Myron Pee to shame.

She is better looking that MP.

Her food for thought articles give some great discussion ideas about what goes on behind the scenes.

And notice that Amelia did NOT say anything to raise possible dissension amongst the troops, but raised questions that Tubby must consider 24/7 as he talks closely with his TEAM. IOW, while you may not be a starter, that does not mean you are not valuable to our success. Starting is only starting, it is no more important than coming off the bench and contributing. Playing at crunch time is the measure we need to go by.

I apologize for talking over the heads of some of you. (If anyone takes this apology as a personal insult, then yes, I meant you)
 

I don't see the point in switching it up, it seems to be working pretty well having Mbakwe come off the bench. He's finishing most games anyway, which is what really matters.
 

I think it's much simpler than that. Mbakwe came back for one reason. To improve his NBA draft stock.

Tubby is squashing that chance like a bug. If I'm Trevor I am secretly pissed off that I am not being given the opportunity to get back into a rhythm.

DUI or no DUI, I think Trevor would have preferred to be kicked off the team and play elsewhere if he is only going to get 15 minutes a game. If his short minutes are a result of "punishment" I think Trevor has every right to be pissed off. We are led to believe that he has done everything Tubby has asked of him. If Tubby and Trevor have sat down and have agreed that he will be starting come Big Ten play then that is a different story.

His draft stock is falling and time is running short. The only reason he came back was to become a lottery pick.
 

I am gonna imagine this scenario:

I am sitting on the Gopher BB bench at the start of a game.

Trevor says to the TEAM, "Let's go get 'em" and sits down by me.

Soon, Trevor tells Tubby, "I'm ready to go Coach!"

Coach says, "Patience, my man, patience. You'll be out there soon."

Trevor says, "Whatever you say, Coach!"

Saul looks and me and says, "Hey Doc, are ya gonna join me at Stub and Herbs after the game?"

Saul and I meet at S & H's after the game. I order a burger, fries, and a beer. Saul orders a burger, fries, and a Diet Coke. Saul looks and me and says, "One is never too old to learn, ya know that?"

Gophers win, I win, Saul wins. It doesn't get any better than that.
 


afurry91 said:
I think it's much simpler than that. Mbakwe came back for one reason. To improve his NBA draft stock.

Tubby is squashing that chance like a bug. If I'm Trevor I am secretly pissed off that I am not being given the opportunity to get back into a rhythm.

DUI or no DUI, I think Trevor would have preferred to be kicked off the team and play elsewhere if he is only going to get 15 minutes a game. If his short minutes are a result of "punishment" I think Trevor has every right to be pissed off. We are led to believe that he has done everything Tubby has asked of him. If Tubby and Trevor have sat down and have agreed that he will be starting come Big Ten play then that is a different story.

His draft stock is falling and time is running short. The only reason he came back was to become a lottery pick.
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His minutes will go up as the season goes on. He still has plenty of time to improve his stock. No better way than having a good showing in the NCAA tournament.
 

All all I'm saying is that if Adrian Peterson worked his tail off to come back only to sit the first 6 games behind Toby Gerhart and take 40% of the snaps. How do you think that would have gone over? Trevor is being a model teammate and I applaud him for that, but don't think for 1 second that he actually agrees with what Tubby is doing.

Adrian Peterson was arrested this summer as well.
 

afurry91 said:
All all I'm saying is that if Adrian Peterson worked his tail off to come back only to sit the first 6 games behind Toby Gerhart and take 40% of the snaps. How do you think that would have gone over? Trevor is being a model teammate and I applaud him for that, but don't think for 1 second that he actually agrees with what Tubby is doing.

Adrian Peterson was arrested this summer as well.
Click to expand...

Adrian Peterson - #1 RB in yards since he entered the NFL (Charges Dropped) - Superhuman recovery from ACL. Unbelievable physical beast.

Trevor Mbakwe - #1 Rebounder in Big Ten last year (DUI Conviction, TRO Contempt Conviction, Assault - Pretrial diversion twice broken).

Clearly Trevor isn't all the way back...he had no legs against FSU. He isn't in AD type shape and isn't ready yet. He'll start when he is at full speed and in starter shape.
 

afurry91 said:
All all I'm saying is that if Adrian Peterson worked his tail off to come back only to sit the first 6 games behind Toby Gerhart and take 40% of the snaps. How do you think that would have gone over? Trevor is being a model teammate and I applaud him for that, but don't think for 1 second that he actually agrees with what Tubby is doing.

Adrian Peterson was arrested this summer as well.
Click to expand...

Not a great comparison. Adrian Peterson could very well be the most talented runningback in the history of the world. The Vikings cannot win without him. Period. You sit him on the bench for the first 6 games and they start out 0-6. Goodbye playoffs. The Gophers are talented enough to win games while bringing him along slowly so he doesn't re-injure himself. No need to pull a Robbie Hummel here. We need him to be 100% for Big Ten play. If you can afford to bring him along slowly while still winning, why not do it? Once he feels 100% both physically and mentally, then we can give him 30+ minutes per game again.
 



afurry91 said:
I think it's much simpler than that. Mbakwe came back for one reason. To improve his NBA draft stock.

Tubby is squashing that chance like a bug. If I'm Trevor I am secretly pissed off that I am not being given the opportunity to get back into a rhythm.

DUI or no DUI, I think Trevor would have preferred to be kicked off the team and play elsewhere if he is only going to get 15 minutes a game. If his short minutes are a result of "punishment" I think Trevor has every right to be pissed off. We are led to believe that he has done everything Tubby has asked of him. If Tubby and Trevor have sat down and have agreed that he will be starting come Big Ten play then that is a different story.

His draft stock is falling and time is running short. The only reason he came back was to become a lottery pick.
Click to expand...

Oh, God, where to start. 6' 8" power guys with a limited offensive game aren't lottery picks so hopefully Trevor is getting advice from someone more knowledgeable than you. He has the talent to be a role player, but this lottery pick stuff is delusional even before the knee injury.

You have no frickin' idea of where he's at with the knee but you throw a whole bunch of "ifs" out there. Pretty sure he'll get more than 15 minutes a game as the season goes along. Florida State was the fourth game in how many days but you're all upset about how he was used? Just maybe a guy a year removed from a major knee injury might be a bit sore and tired and the coach decides to be cautious instead of still punishing him?

If Trevor is "secretly pissed", he's certainly doing a great job of concealing it; but, hey, AJ's mom's best friend is now famous, so based on your post I'm now expecting some anonymous tweets from Trevor followed by a 4,000 word diatribe accusing Tubby of manipulating him..
 

GopherinPhilly said:
Adrian Peterson - #1 RB in yards since he entered the NFL (Charges Dropped) - Superhuman recovery from ACL. Unbelievable physical beast.

Trevor Mbakwe - #1 Rebounder in Big Ten last year (DUI Conviction, TRO Contempt Conviction, Assault - Pretrial diversion twice broken).

Clearly Trevor isn't all the way back...he had no legs against FSU. He isn't in AD type shape and isn't ready yet. He'll start when he is at full speed and in starter shape.
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So do you think it takes Rubio over a month to crack the starting lineup once he's back? Trevor at 75% is still the best center on the team.
 

Mulligan said:
Oh, God, where to start. 6' 8" power guys with a limited offensive game aren't lottery picks so hopefully Trevor is getting advice from someone more knowledgeable than you.
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Draft analysts would disagree with you.
 

You guys are comparing professional athletes who are talented freaks of nature to an amateur athlete who is letting Tubby help him achieve his potential by thinking that Trevor is gonna get pissed, when all Tubby has in store for him is the opportunity to achieve a great future of an NBA contract of some sort. If you don't think Tubby has Trevor's future in mind, you are absolutely wrong.

If Tubby did NOT have Trevor's future goals in mind, he would not have given him the opportunity (ies) to get there. I would certainly hope that the mentality of GH commentors is not that limited.
 



GopherinPhilly said:
Adrian Peterson - #1 RB in yards since he entered the NFL (Charges Dropped) - Superhuman recovery from ACL. Unbelievable physical beast.

Trevor Mbakwe - #1 Rebounder in Big Ten last year (DUI Conviction, TRO Contempt Conviction, Assault - Pretrial diversion twice broken).
Click to expand...

And more...

Vikings - Have a 16-game schedule with no cupcakes. Every single game is against a quality opponent.

Gophers - Have a 31-game schedule loaded with early season pushovers.
 

What's happening right now is ideal - we are winning without over-using Trevor. There is no need to rush a guy back from an ACL injury if you don't have to. Build his game back up slowly as long as you keep winning, and you reduce the risk of reinjury or fatigue once you get into the Big Ten season when he'll really be needed.
 

cduff said:
What's happening right now is ideal - we are winning without over-using Trevor. There is no need to rush a guy back from an ACL injury if you don't have to. Build his game back up slowly as long as you keep winning, and you reduce the risk of reinjury or fatigue once you get into the Big Ten season when he'll really be needed.
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cduff, you are right on, but you forgot to include the Instant Gratification Mentality.

Tubby saw much earlier in the Florida State game that Trevor was not 100% and that is when further injuries can occur. Tubby played it smart, and we won the game because of Tubby, not in spite of Tubby.
 

afurry91 said:
All all I'm saying is that if Adrian Peterson worked his tail off to come back only to sit the first 6 games behind Toby Gerhart and take 40% of the snaps. How do you think that would have gone over? Trevor is being a model teammate and I applaud him for that, but don't think for 1 second that he actually agrees with what Tubby is doing.

Adrian Peterson was arrested this summer as well.
Click to expand...

There was a recent article written (can't recall by who or where) that a football player can come back from a torn ACL and be effective at about 80% while a basketball player needs to be at 100%. The reason being, short of getting Lattimored, basketball is much harder on your knees due to the jumping aspect and playing on a hard surface as oppose to grass or turf. AP's recovery is still remarkable, but a basketball player is not comparable.

Trevor's issue likely isn't his knee only either. It is mental and is in part due to his brace and it bothering him. It is also in relation to timing. Dwight Howard had back surgery and even though he's playing starters minute and is "healed" he will be the first to tell you his timing is still off and his explosiveness isn't back fully yet. Trevor's issue has been dropping passes, fumbling rebounds, etc. all timing issues that will be solved as he works back into shape and trust his knee more.

Knee injuries in a 6' 8" basketball power forward are not the same as knee injuries to football running backs.

Trevor will be fine later in the season, but to think his knee is still a non factor is ridiculous.
 

Being a starter doesn't really matter to me. Mbakwe is 5th in minutes played and that makes him just like a starter in my eyes. He's averaged almost 22 minutes a games in the past five games. His minutes and numbers will increase as he gets more comfortable.

I actually kinda like him coming off the bench. Then when Tubby does his massive substitutions, we don't have a lineup of all "second-teamers".
 

afurry91 said:
I think it's much simpler than that. Mbakwe came back for one reason. To improve his NBA draft stock.

Tubby is squashing that chance like a bug. If I'm Trevor I am secretly pissed off that I am not being given the opportunity to get back into a rhythm.

DUI or no DUI, I think Trevor would have preferred to be kicked off the team and play elsewhere if he is only going to get 15 minutes a game. If his short minutes are a result of "punishment" I think Trevor has every right to be pissed off. We are led to believe that he has done everything Tubby has asked of him. If Tubby and Trevor have sat down and have agreed that he will be starting come Big Ten play then that is a different story.

His draft stock is falling and time is running short. The only reason he came back was to become a lottery pick.
Click to expand...

Well at least you generated a lot of replies.:rolleyes:
 


afurry91 said:
I think it's much simpler than that. Mbakwe came back for one reason. To improve his NBA draft stock.

Tubby is squashing that chance like a bug. If I'm Trevor I am secretly pissed off that I am not being given the opportunity to get back into a rhythm.

DUI or no DUI, I think Trevor would have preferred to be kicked off the team and play elsewhere if he is only going to get 15 minutes a game. If his short minutes are a result of "punishment" I think Trevor has every right to be pissed off. We are led to believe that he has done everything Tubby has asked of him. If Tubby and Trevor have sat down and have agreed that he will be starting come Big Ten play then that is a different story.

His draft stock is falling and time is running short. The only reason he came back was to become a lottery pick.
Click to expand...

so much fail...
 

afurry91 said:
Draft analysts would disagree with you.
Click to expand...

I don't think Trevor has ever been regarded as a lottery pick. 1st round possibly, yes. Lottery? I've never seen it. And having him start and play heavy minutes while not 100% is not gonna impress scouts either when he's clearly not there yet. Coming off the bench early on isn't gonna hurt his stock, I think they're a little smarter than to think he was gonna walk out there in a year and just ball out. His minutes will increase as he gets stronger, if his game follows suit, then he will be back in the mix come conference play and he'll be fine.
 

BleedGopher said:
per Amelia: "Eliason embodies the kind of player Smith craves – he’s physical enough to battle underneath the basket, he’s fast enough to keep up with the Gophers up-tempo offense, he’s conditioned enough to stick with the press and most of all, he plays with all the heart and energy and hustle you could ask for."

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/181385601.html

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

This is simply a non-issue. Trevor showed what he could do against Stanford. We played 4 games in 6 days. That is a bunch for someone recovering from knee surgery. Tubby needed to rest him as long as the game was in hand and the game was pretty much in hand most of the way.

Quite frankly Trevor showed fatigue once he got in to the game. As sharp as he looked versus Stanford is as fatigued as he looked versus FSU. Trevor will be playing 25 to 30 plus minutes progressively as the season begins in The Big. There are more than 2 dozen games left this year and Tubby is going to need Trevor progressively over the coming weeks.
 

If NBA scouts base Trevor's draftability on the first 8 games of the season then they should lose their jobs. If he struggled all season and Tubby never played him more than 15 minutes that would be one thing, but he has played over 15 minutes in a lot of games...averaging 22 over the last 5. Give the kid some time to get his legs, hands, shot and game back. Its a process for him and Tubby sees that.

I don't usually agree with Tubby's substitution patterns but in this case I think he is handling it correctly. I am sure Trevor wants to play 35 minutes per game but thats not reasonable or healthy right now. When he is needed he will get the minutes, assuming he can be productive.

Also, please post links to the lottery pick projections. I would like to see who else is on there.
 

khoffman43 said:
If NBA scouts base Trevor's draftability on the first 8 games of the season then they should lose their jobs. If he struggled all season and Tubby never played him more than 15 minutes that would be one thing, but he has played over 15 minutes in a lot of games...averaging 22 over the last 5. Give the kid some time to get his legs, hands, shot and game back. Its a process for him and Tubby sees that.

I don't usually agree with Tubby's substitution patterns but in this case I think he is handling it correctly. I am sure Trevor wants to play 35 minutes per game but thats not reasonable or healthy right now. When he is needed he will get the minutes, assuming he can be productive.

Also, please post links to the lottery pick projections. I would like to see who else is on there.
Click to expand...

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/story/20839690/nba-mock-draft-setting-the-stage - There are plenty of Mock Drafts, here is a old one (10-5-12) one from Jeff Goodman.
 

afurry91 said:
All all I'm saying is that if Adrian Peterson worked his tail off to come back only to sit the first 6 games behind Toby Gerhart and take 40% of the snaps. How do you think that would have gone over? Trevor is being a model teammate and I applaud him for that, but don't think for 1 second that he actually agrees with what Tubby is doing.


Adrian Peterson was arrested this summer as well.
Click to expand...

Both have been known to put the ball on the ground.....:-(
 

I'm amazed at how many MDs visit the GopherHole. And not only do they visit, they have blessed us with their knowledge by giving us unbiased, no-doubt-100% accurate status diagnoses of both Kill's epilepsy and Mbakwe's knee. Thank you for imparting all the medical knowledge you've gained during your medical school education, residency, fellowship, and decades of clinical research experience. The GopherHole owes you a debt of gratitude!
 

dpodoll68 said:
I'm amazed at how many MDs visit the GopherHole. And not only do they visit, they have blessed us with their knowledge by giving us unbiased, no-doubt-100% accurate status diagnoses of both Kill's epilepsy and Mbakwe's knee. Thank you for imparting all the medical knowledge you've gained during your medical school education, residency, fellowship, and decades of clinical research experience. The GopherHole owes you a debt of gratitude!
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I'm amazed at how often you use hyperbole, yet you previously denied using hyperbole.
 

Stan said:
I'm amazed at how often you use hyperbole, yet you previously denied using hyperbole.
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It's not hyperbole when it's true. I mean, everyone giving their "advice" on Kill's epilepsy and Mbakwe's knee are obviously MDs. It's not possible that they could just be talking out of their asses and making sh1t up to suit whatever agenda they happen to be pushing that day. I can't even fathom that happening. That they are MDs is much more plausible.
 

Trevor

Mulligan said:
Oh, God, where to start. 6' 8" power guys with a limited offensive game aren't lottery picks so hopefully Trevor is getting advice from someone more knowledgeable than you. He has the talent to be a role player, but this lottery pick stuff is delusional even before the knee injury.QUOTE]


I totally agree. If Trevor was 6'10" and not closer to 6'6" I'd say you'd have a chance but then again the odds of him averaging over 10pts a game in the NBA are low. I think Plumlee is taller than his listed 6'10", just as his brother Miles was (7' in shoes NBA draft camp). But both the commentators and I were suprised that Mason look to have 4-5 inches on him.
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